- G60 minutes (8 frames)
- R85 minutes (9 frames)
- B70 minutes (10 frames)
- L135 minutes (15 frames)
M109 (Messier 109) is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 55 million light-years from Earth. Its characteristic structure includes a central bar with two bright spiral arms extending from the base of the bar. The galaxy is classified as a SBbc (barred spiral galaxy).
The galaxy has an angular size of 7.3 by 4.5 arcminutes and is approximately 120,000 light-years in diameter. Its structure includes active star-forming regions in its arms, as well as numerous star clusters and nebulae.
M109 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later added to the Charles Messier catalog. It is the most distant object in the Messier catalog, followed by M91. The central region of the galaxy contains a faint inner ring structure around the bar. Observations show that the gas distribution inside the galaxy is affected by the bar, creating a empty space in the center (H I-absence).
This galaxy is part of the Ursa Major Group of galaxies, which includes about 50 galaxies. M109 also has several satellites, such as UGC 6923, UGC 6940, and UGC 6969, which are irregular galaxies. In 1956, a supernova SN 1956A (type Ia) with a maximum magnitude of 12.3 was observed.
The galaxy is difficult to observe due to its dimness and blurriness, but it is easily visible in the spring, using the bright star Fehda in Ursa Major as a marker to find it. Under dark skies, M109 can be seen as a band of light, but a more powerful telescope will be needed to study it in more detail, as it will show the core region of the galaxy surrounded by the blurry light.
Images of the galaxy obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope allow us to study the bright core of this spiral galaxy, which helps to study supermassive black holes in various galaxies.
| Photo | Date | Frames | Exposure | L | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 17 Mar 2021 | 42 | 05:50 | 02:15 | 01:25 | 01:00 | 01:10 |
Visibility chart of Spiral galaxy M 109 during the day
| Date | Moon Phase | Exposure | CCD Temperature | Gain | Offset | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- 2023ixf•
- 40 Eri•
- Abell 74•
- Artemis A868 SA•
- a Canis Minoris•
- C 2020 R4 ATLAS•
- C 2020 T2 Palomar•
- C 2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)•
- Haumea (2003 EL61)•
- HCG 68•
- HCG 92•
- IC 1318B•
- IC 1396•
- IC 1795•
- IC 1805•
- IC 1848•
- IC 1871•
- IC 3322A•
- IC 342•
- IC 4015•
- IC 405•
- IC 417•
- IC 434•
- IC 443•
- IC 4703•
- IC 5070•
- IC 5146•
- IC 63•
- M 1•
- M 101•
- M 103•
- M 109•
- M 13•
- M 15•
- M 27•
- M 3•
- M 33•
- M 42•
- M 45•
- M 5•
- M 51•
- M 57•
- M 63•
- M 64•
- M 74•
- M 76•
- M 81•
- M 82•
- M 86•
- M 87•
- M 94•
- M 97•
- NGC 147•
- NGC 1491•
- NGC 1499•
- NGC 1579•
- NGC 1961•
- NGC 2146•
- NGC 2239•
- NGC 2403•
- NGC 281•
- NGC 4236•
- NGC 4565•
- NGC 4631•
- NGC 507•
- NGC 508•
- NGC 5866•
- NGC 5907•
- NGC 6503•
- NGC 6823•
- NGC 6888•
- NGC 6946•
- NGC 6992•
- NGC 6995•
- NGC 7000•
- NGC 7023•
- NGC 7129•
- NGC 7217•
- NGC 7331•
- NGC 7380•
- NGC 7538•
- NGC 7635•
- NGC 7640•
- NGC 7822•
- NGC 891•
- NGC 896•
- NGC 925•
- PGC 54559•
- Sh2-155•
- Sh2-168•
- Sh2 103•
- Sh2 109•
- Sh2 132•
- T CrB•
- UGC 6930•
- V1405 Cas•
- Vesta A807 FA•